30 Rock

After watching the first season, I’m giving it four stars heading to five. I don’t get why this sitcom with such refined script and dialogues (it delivers several surprises per episode) remains under the shadow of The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. I’m bringing the rating up to five stars after the second season, I’m in love with the all the characters… even Tracy and Kenneth. Bringing it down to four during the fifth season, or to 7/10. The fun went downhill. (11/27/2009)

Seasons 1-2 – 80% – Where another series would stumble with the forced repetition of the same formula, 30 Rock is just getting started. Tina Fey shines from the first episodes with her sharp humor, and thanks to the stylish and all-knowing Jack and the unwavering optimist Kenneth, she quickly wins me over with her pleasantly critical side. I laugh and nod my head at the intelligence of the various lines and references, but despite all the self-parody, there is an occasional lack of vitality and maybe even uniqueness. Nevertheless, this pop culture stew is tastier than it might seem from the premise. Seasons 3-4 – 100% – When relationship twists and turns stop being primarily just another source of jokes and become a pleasant backdrop, that's when this show wins. Then the barrage of jokes seems truly endless with a meaningful and connected storyline, and the shabby studio setting gains a sense of timelessness. This is a golden era and an obvious reason why Tina deserves to be one of the most acclaimed women in television. Seasons 5-6 – 60% – Some topics cannot be milked forever, and unfortunately, television satire is one of them. Something is missing at NBC, and I sadly have to state that surprisingly often, it's humor. There's nothing wrong with going back to situation comedy and parodies, but there definitely is with struggling creatively and relying on several genuinely weak jokes (e.g. the absurdly unfunny character Hazel). And yet even as Tracy or Frank start getting boring at times and Liz and Kenneth lose power, Alec Baldwin's Jack still reigns with an iron hand of humor. Thanks to several great moments (the live episode), it is still watchable without any problems, but the continuous joy is unfortunately gone. Season 7 – 90% – It feels as if the creative team locked themselves up and put all their efforts into the most successful farewell possible. There is nothing better than when a series that has stumbled in quality multiple times can wave at its viewers and leave on a high note. 30 Rock managed this with the uncompromising punchlines and the resolution of carefully crafted long-term storylines. Because as long as the feeling remains that those seven seasons were worth experiencing, everything is in the best order. (08/28/2012)